


Good Enough for Our Lucifer

by Ptolomeia



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Author decides who's an archangel and who isn't, F/M, Happy Ending, Kidnapping, Marriage Proposal, Post Season 4, Some angst, Step-Devil, That's it, The angels kidnap Chloe because they think she's bewitched Lucifer into marrying her, Written Pre-Season 5, but not relationship angst, christian mythology-freeform, not very traumatic kidnapping, that's the plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23470666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ptolomeia/pseuds/Ptolomeia
Summary: When Lucifer, who once Fell for free will and the right to not bow to humanity, agrees to marry some human woman, his siblings step in to make sure their brother gets what he's always wanted. Unfortunately for everyone involved, turns out they don't know what Lucifer truly desires.
Relationships: Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar
Comments: 125
Kudos: 455





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love this fandom deeply and the theme of Lucifer wondering if he's good enough for Chloe shows up again and again in the fandom and in the show. So, just once, I wanted someone to ask if Chloe was good enough for Lucifer. This is the result of that question.

Lucifer looked over the rim of his wine glass at where Chloe sat across from him, smiling nervously. It was just the two of them tonight, with the urchin at her father’s, and Chloe had asked him over for dinner. He took a sip of the wine she’d chosen. It was good--not as good as his usual fair, mind, but still, a good choice for Chloe. And, if he were any judge (which he was) out of her usual price range, though not by much. The dinner she’d made had been much the same. She’d insister on cooking it herself, before he even came over. It had been nice, fancier than she usually went for, but it could have been even better if she’d let him at least choose and pay for the ingredients if not cook them himself. Didn’t she know he loved looking after her in any way she’d let him? Not that she ever needed him to, but that was what made her letting him in so special. 

But, she’d insisted she wanted to organize this night on her own, and he could never deny her anything she truly wanted. With the nice table cloth he’d once bought her and the candle lit dinner... Could this be one of her experiments in looking after him? No, she was far too nervous for it to be something like that...

Suddenly, everything slotted into place. Really, Lucifer was surprised it had taken him this long to realize what was really going on. 

“What do you want, Chloe?” he asked her, putting his glass down and leaning forward. “What is it you truly desire?” He hoped the familiar words would mask his hurt. Surely she knew he wouldn’t deny her anything she asked for? She didn’t have to butter him up to get something from him. 

Chloe jumped in her seat and he knew he was onto something. “What do you mean?” she asked, just a little too high and a little too fast. 

That hurt more than the fact she felt she couldn’t just ask him for whatever it was she wanted. 

“Now, now, detective,” she flinched, and he almost felt guilty for not using her name, but she’d started this. “I thought we’d agreed there would be no lies between us.” 

“It wasn’t a lie, it was a question!” she responded. And that was fair, he supposed, so he’d answer her. 

“The dinner, the wine, the candles, the table cloth, you want something from me, Chloe. What is it?” 

“You’re hurting.” Chloe realized, reaching out and placing her hand over his. “What’s wrong?”

Lucifer tensed for a moment before forcing himself to relax and take a deep breath. She wasn’t avoiding the question, she was concerned and, like Doctor Linda said, relationships are a two way street. If he wanted her to be honest with him, he’d have to be honest with her. It had worked for them so far, no reason to believe it wouldn’t work this time. 

“I’m... hurt,” his teeth closed sharply around the word, still not quite used to this whole being emotionally as well as physically vulnerable. “Because you’re treating me so nicely and it’s because you want something from me. I’m hurt you felt you had to do this, that you didn’t think you could just ask. Don’t you know I couldn’t deny you anything, Chloe?”

“Lucifer...” Chloe said, and Lucifer could see her heart breaking a little in her eyes, the way it always did when she remembered how broken he was. He hated that look, and loved her for having it. But before he could get lost in the sea of her blue eyes, she closed them and let out a deep breath. She opened them again, eyes determined. “Alright, first off, clearly I’m not holding up my end of the relationship properly if you think that me making you a nice/romantic dinner is just because I want something out of you. So, from here on out, I’m going to make a bigger effort, ok? That is...” She bit her lip, “That is if you still want me after this.” 

Lucifer let out a small chuckle. How could she possibly be worried about him not wanting her?

“Or maybe I’m not holding up my end of the relationship if you think there’s anything you could do to chase me away?” He asked, eyes dancing before another thought hit him and his smile dropped. “Unless, of course, you want me to lea--”

He didn’t manage to finish the sentence before her hand was squeezing his in reassurance. 

“Never,” She said with such conviction, he found himself actually believing her. She bit her lip again before releasing his hand, pressing to her feet and coming around the table to stand next to him. “Which brings me to what I want to ask you, because there really is something I want, Lucifer.”

“Of course, Darling, whatever you desire,” He started to climb to his feet, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He sank back into his chair, looking into nervous but serious eyes. He turned his chair to face her better. 

“I’m not going to hold you to that, Lucifer. What I’m about to ask... You need to answer for yourself, not for me. If you don’t want to, I want you to promise you’ll say no, ok?” 

“Of course, darling. You have my word.” Whatever she was going to ask, she wanted the truth from him and he’d give it. After all, their relationship had become so much better, so much  _ more _ when he’d started telling her the whole truth. He wasn’t about to stop now. 

“Good,” she said with a relieved but still nervous smile. With one more deep breath, she sank to one knee. Lucifer blinked at her. What the hell? “I love you Lucifer, and I have for a long time. You make me a better cop, a better mom, a better person. I’m still not sure why you chose me of all the people on the planet to share your life with,” he snorted at that and gave her a look. Surely she knew better by now? “But I’m so grateful every day that you did, and,” her hand reached into the pocket of the dress she’d chosen for the evening. Of course it had pockets, she  _ was _ the detective after all. “I want to spend the rest of my life being grateful I have you at my side. You’re the best partner I could ask for, Lucifer. At work, in bed, in life, and I never want to lose that. For as long as I live.” She pulled her hand out from her pocket and held a ring between them. It was a simple silver band, with three small onyx stones pressed into it. “Lucifer Morningstar,” his eyes went from the ring to her face and he saw love, hope and fear all etched there. “Will you make me the happiest human on Earth? Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” he breathed, almost unable to believe this was real. When she didn’t disappear, and relief and joy swept across her face instead, he was convinced that it was. “Oh, Chloe, yes! Yes!” He sprung from his chair and scooped her up in his arms, peppering her face with kisses as she laughed. Eventually, he put her down so he could look into her eyes properly. “There is nothing that would make this Devil happier than marrying you and sharing the rest of your life with you.” It was all he’d ever wanted, afterall. 

“Give me your hand, Lucifer,” Chloe managed through her smile, and he let go of her reluctantly, moving his left hand between them. It was shaking, he realized and he couldn’t help but laugh. Chloe managed to slide the ring on anyway. It complimented his signet ring on his other hand, but still managed to stand proud on it’s own. 

“I, uh, won’t mind if you want us to go buy something else,” Chloe said, looking at the ring instead of him. “I know it’s way below your usual budget, so I won’t be hurt if you don’t want to wear it.” 

His fist snapped shut against any attempt to remove the ring. “Never,” he told her, taking his free hand and turning her face up to his. “This ring is perfect, Chloe. Nothing could make me want to replace it.” She looked relieved and happy and he just had to kiss her again. She broke away when she felt him smile and laugh softly into their kiss. 

“What is it?” she asked. 

“If we’re going to be married, then what’s mine will be yours, right?” he asked. 

“Right...” she said, trying and failing to figure out where he was going with this. His grin turned positively devilish. 

“That means that I get to fund the wedding!” He grinned. 

“I? What? How?  _ Why? _ ” she managed. 

“Because, my money will be your money and that way we’ll be spending an equal amount on the wedding and you can’t complain!”

“Lucifer!” she complained, but she was laughing, so he’d count it as a win. Then her expression turned more serious, her eyes searching his. “Is that what you want? A big wedding?”

“Size is irrelevant, as long as you’re there. And the little urchin, of course.” he told her firmly. “But the  _ quality _ of the wedding? Now that matters deeply. I’m not about to let the love of my life get married in some half-arsed celebration.” 

“You know, you spend so much time worrying about me being treated well enough, I don’t think you understand how much treating you well, giving you what  _ you  _ want matters to me.” Chloe admitted. “So, yes, you can fund the wedding, but I want the actual arrangements to be decided between the two of us, alright?”

“Agreed,” he replied immediately. 

“And that means you have to actually give your input too, not just agree with everything I say, alright?” She demanded. 

“I--Uh--Yes?” He tried. He wanted a relationship after all, a partnership, and that required equality. He loved her all the more for making sure he got it. 

“And if your money is my money...” Chloe murmured, giving him a calculating look.

“Chloe, darling, you know you need only ask for money and I’ll be happy to give it to you.”

“See, that’s the problem,” she told him. “I don't want to spend your money, Lucifer. I want to spend our money. On you. I want to take you out on the kind of date you deserve. The kind you take me on.”

“Chloe...” He breathed, before pulling himself slightly more together. Would this woman ever stop surprising him? He hoped not. “I can think of no better way to celebrate our engagement.” He finally managed. 

“Really?” Chloe asked, letting her gaze drag down his body in a way that never failed to set him on fire. “Cause I can.” 

After that, he was more than really to let his love take him upstairs and celebrate the best night of their lives together. 

***

“Oh  _ crap _ ,” Chloe groaned into his chest, early the next morning. 

“What is it, love?” Lucifer asked, running his hand up and down her back. Some instinctual part of him flinched, wondering if she’d realized what she’d done and wanted to take it all back, but, as Dr. Linda had told him to, he reminded himself that that was an irrational thought, and that Chloe loved him. He had no reason to doubt her sincerity. 

“I was supposed to pick up your dry-cleaning,” she grumbled. “But with all the preparations for last night, I forgot.” 

‘See?’ Lucifer told his abandonment issues, ‘nothing to worry about.’

“ _ And _ those were all of the suits you had here. All we’ve got is what you wore yesterday.” 

“I take it that wearing that would go against our rules?” He asked lightly. They’d established several rules early on in their relationship to help keep things steady. He knew that other people were morons whose opinions didn’t matter, but unfortunately, some of those morons could actually affect Chloe’s career, and he didn’t want to give her any reason to regret being with him. Besides, they weren’t that unreasonable. “And I know going nude would definitely break at least one.” 

“Yes, Lucifer, nudity at work absolutely goes against our rules,” Chloe chided with no real heat in her voice. “But... would you be willing to swing by Lux to change? I promise I’ll pick up the dry-cleaning today so it won’t be a problem again for a little while.” 

“Of course, darling,” he kissed the top of her head and slid out of bed. He knew it wasn’t that she was ashamed of them sleeping together, just that she wanted to keep things at work professional. And showing up looking deliciously rumpled in yesterday’s clothes was  _ not _ professional. “I’ll pop off home, change and get ready to meet you at the precinct. Besides, I  _ do _ want to look my best, now that I have this little beauty to show off.” He waved his left hand at her, palm facing in to show off his new favourite piece of jewelry before pausing. 

“Actually, do you.. Do you not want me to show it off at work?” Would that be breaking one of the rules?

“Lucifer, of course you can show it off at work!” Chloe hastened to reassure him. 

“But, professi--”

“I have never hidden the fact that we’re a couple at work, Lucifer.” She reminded him. “I just don’t like to make a big fuss of it. And no PDAs. But I’m not about to hide our engagement or eventual marriage. Hell, we’ll probably be inviting at least half the precinct given how well you get along with everyone.” 

He couldn’t help preening a little at that. He  _ liked  _ that people liked him, even when he was odd and everyone thought he was insane or a method actor. They still made space for him. It was... nice. 

“So,” she reached over and gave his arse a smack. The slight pain was delicious. “Get that beautiful ass of yours home and meet me at the precinct.”

With a laugh, a reminder that there was a prepared breakfast that could be microwaved in her freezer and one last kiss, Lucifer did exactly that, humming all the while. \

  
  


***

Chloe dressed quickly, but carefully knowing Lucifer would want to show her off and that she’d be receiving plenty of congratulations once Lucifer started telling people, which wouldn’t take long at all. She applied a little extra make-up and her favourite scent before heading to her car, taking careful bites out of the bacon-pepper-egg bite thing that Lucifer had made her for busy mornings. Lucifer who had agreed to marry her. Lucifer who was going to spend the rest of her life with her. She had to stop eating for a moment when her smile threatened to ruin her lipstick. She closed her eyes for a second to revel in how amazing life could be, when she let it. She had to get to the precinct before he did and find some excuse to hang out in the lab. She knew that’s where Lucifer would go first, and there was no  _ way _ she was going to miss Ella’s reaction when Lucifer showed her his new ring. 

It was then that she heard the familiar sound of wings. 

“Really, Lucifer?” She asked with a laugh, opening her eyes. “Couldn’t wait to see m-- You’re not Lucifer.”

“No,” said the angel in front of her, wings spread wide. Chloe’s hand went to her gun as she took a step back. “We are not.” 

“We?” Chloe asked, looking around. There were two more angels on either side of her, and one behind, all with their wings spread, boxing her in. Her hand crept away from her gun. It wasn’t going to be any use. 

“The remaining Archangels,” said the angel in front of her. 

“Most of them,” said the one behind. 

“No matter how many of us there are,” the one in front said with a glare at the one behind, “we are more than a match for you, witch.” 

And then the angel was reaching forward and Chloe jerked away and into the arms of the one behind her. There was another flutter of wings and the pathway in front of Chloe’s apartment building was deserted, as if no one had ever been there. 

***

Lucifer practically pranced into the precinct, keeping his left hand firmly in his pocket and unable to keep the practically (but not actually) disbelieving smile off his face. Chloe had proposed! Chloe wanted to marry him! Him! He’d already texted Linda saying he wanted to see if they could move their usual appointment up a few days. He could tell her, but he wanted to see her face when he told her the news. And besides, there were a few things he wanted to talk about with his therapist before he talked about them with his part--fiancée. Niggling little doubts that he knew were irrational, but would still be helped by working through with someone. 

A quick glance at the Detective’s desk told him she wasn’t in yet--my, my, she was taking her time to get ready this morning. He’d taken even longer than usual, getting ready. He’d wanted to look even more perfect than normal when people realized they were engaged, but hadn’t wanted to  _ look _ like he was trying to look more perfect than normal. It was a careful balancing act, but one he rather thought he pulled off with panache. 

Still, even if she wasn’t there yet, there was someone he could tell, someone who deserved to be in the know. 

He made his way over to the lab, nodding at people as he passed and returning waves with his right hand, opened the door and stepped inside. 

“Ms. Lopez, how are you this fine and sunny morning?” he asked, making his way to the table that took up the center of the room and laying both hands flat on the surface. Now it was just a waiting game; how long would it take for her to notice?

“Wow, Lucifer, you’re in a good mood this morning!” The constantly cheerful forensic pathologist greeted, turning away from her microscope to look at him. “What gives?”

“Who says anything ‘gives’?” Lucifer asked with a shrug, keeping his hands where they were. 

“Oh, answering my question with a question, thus avoiding giving me an answer, I see how it is,’ Ms. Lopez replied with a smile. “So, something definitely gives.” She looked him up and down, brilliant mind whirring. 

“Let’s see, you’re happy, so it probably has to do with Chloe,” he nodded. Point to Ms. Lopez. “I know she had a dinner planned with you last night that she was a little nervous about, but you haven’t been this happy about getting laid since you two started dating.” His brow quirked at that, but he made a ‘go on’ gesture with his left hand. A gamble, but really, they would both come out as winners here. 

“No way!” She said, eyes immediately zooming in on his hand. “NO WAY!” She shrieked, latching on and pulling his hand up to get a better look. “Oooooh man, she asked you? The ring is so pretty!”

“She did,” Lucifer replied with a smirk. “Excellent taste, our detective has. Well, previous partners excepted, of course.” 

“Of course,” Ms. Lopez replied, giving him a look before pulling over a chair and making him sit down. “Now, sit down and tell me  _ everything _ .”

“Now, now, Ms. Lopez, don’t you have experiments you should be running?” You could take the torturer out of Hell, but you couldn’t take the Hell out of the torturer. Ms. Lopez dashed back to her microscope to take a quick look. 

“Oh, wow! Still cells!” Before he could blink she was in front of him, sitting on another chair and giving him the same look Rae-Rae would when she wanted something from him. “Now, spill. The. Beans.” 

And so he did, quite happily, telling her everything about the night before (well, at least before they retreated upstairs to celebrate), including the exact wording of Chloe’s proposal. He’d treasure those words for the rest of eternity, even if he left out the ‘in bed’ part for Ella. He wasn’t sure Chloe would want him to share that part, especially in a work setting. 

Then Ms. Lopez moved on to asking him details about the upcoming wedding. He didn’t really have many answers, but it did give him a chance to think about what  _ he _ actually wanted from it. Chloe wanted them to do this together, and they would. Just like they did everything important. 

He was part way through giving her his detailed thoughts on flower arrangements when the door opened and Dan walked in. 

“Oh, Lucifer, there you are. Have you seen Chloe?”

“Not since I left her apartment this morning, no,” Lucifer replied simply, feeling something was off. “Why do you ask?” Surely Chloe was here by now?

“She hasn’t come in yet and isn’t answering her phone.”

The bottom dropped out of Lucifer’s stomach. Something was wrong. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe was locked in an unfamiliar room, she didn’t know where, with four Archangels. It was a comfortable room, clean and decorated in her favourite colours, with a little dining area and a bed that looked incredibly comfortable and had the perfect number of pillows. There was a door leading off to what was probably a bathroom, not that she’d been allowed to check yet. No, the Archangels had brought her into this comfortable room, sat her down at the dining area and taken their places around the table as well.

Chloe hated every inch of it. 

See, for all she couldn’t imagine a more comfortable prison if she tried, a prison was exactly what this was. She wasn’t allowed to leave (she’d already tried) and was forced to sit at a table with the angels that had kidnapped her. Well, most of them, anyway. Michael stood across from her, glaring at her with wings unfurled. The four Archangels and one human stared at each other in silence. 

“Enough!” Remiel finally snapped, surging to her feet, taking a spear out of fucking nowhere and placing the tip against Chloe’s throat. Chloe froze, looking the Archangel in her dark eyes and carefully did not swallow. “Release our brother from the spell you used to bind him and swear to leave him be and we will release you!”

“Last I saw Amenadiel, he was perfectly happy taking care of Linda and Charlie,” Chloe replied, using all of her training to keep her voice even, even with a celestial weapon to her throat. ‘Angels can’t kill humans,’ she reminded herself, ‘Angels can’t kill humans.’

But they could hurt her. 

“It’s not Amenadiel we speak of,” Raphael cut in, giving her a level look with their midnight-blue eyes. 

Chloe let one of her eyebrows climb. “Well, if there are any other angels on Earth, I certainly haven’t dealt with them.” And Lucifer would have told her if one of his siblings had shown up to cause trouble. He wouldn’t hide something like that from her anymore. 

“LIES,” roared Remiel, “There is more than one way to rid our brother of your control.” 

The spear swung back and Chloe realized this was it. She was never going to see Trixie again. Never going to see Ella’s face when she heard the news. Never going to marry Lucifer. She closed her eyes and braced for impact, but a cool, calm voice landed instead. 

“Enough, Remiel,” Gabriel’s voice cut in. We all know we can’t hurt her here.” Wherever the hell here was. Chloe opened her eyes to see Gabriel and Remiel locked in a staring contest. Eventually, Gabriel seemed to win as Remiel grumbled and vanished her weapon, giving Chloe one last dirty look before reclaiming her seat. 

“Now, Chloe,” Gabriel said, turning to her with an inviting smile. 

“Detective Decker,” Chloe corrected. None of them had earned the right to call her by her first name. Not after kidnapping her. If Lucifer had treated her with that much respect from the beginning, so could they. 

“Detective Decker,” Gabriel corrected smoothly, her smile still firmly in place. “You have to understand, we’re just looking out for our brother. We want nothing more than to keep him safe and happy. What do you desire, Detective? I’m sure we can come to some agreement...”

“Really?” Chloe asked, giving them a disbelieving look. “That’s what you’re going with? Good Cop, Bad Cop? And,” She waved at where Raphael sat across from her and Michael stood behind them. “Strangely Distant Cop and Trying To Be Threatening Cop?”

‘Good Cop, Handsome Devil Cop,’ echoed in her mind and her heart ached. She pushed the feelings aside. She had more important things to deal with. 

“Besides, I thought deals and desire were Lucifer’s thing, and he’d be the first to tell you, that trick doesn’t work on me.” 

That brought up consternation at the table, voices breaking out in a language Chloe had never understood, that Lucifer sometimes used to sing her to sleep after one of her nightmares. Whatever they were saying, they didn’t want her to know. Chloe sat back and glared at them, waiting for them to calm down and start speaking a language she understood again, but before they did, Michael lost patience and yelled something, shutting the other three up. He leaned menacingly over Raphael and glared at Chloe with a cool anger that shook her more than Remiel’s hot rage had, not that she’d show it. 

“So, you admit to knowing our brother?” He growled. 

“This is about Lucifer?” Chloe gasped, incredulous. No, on second thought, she wasn’t incredulous. She was furious. How dare they come into his life after all this time? How dare they try to take her away from him now he was finally healing, finally figuring out how to be happy? How dare they!?

“Of course it’s about Lucifer!” Michael roared. “Who else do you have tangled up in your spells? Not that we’d care about some human you’ve enthralled, but we will not have you targeting our brother!”

“Oh, so now you care?” Chloe snarled right back. “After everything you’ve let him go through over the centuries--forget centuries--millennia alone, you want to ruin his life all over again?”

“All our brother ever wanted was free will,” Raphael said calmly, ignoring their brother’s raging behind them. “We will not allow you to take it from him.” 

“Is it really so impossible to believe he’d choose me?” Chloe demanded. She’d been through these insecurities with Linda, and she wasn’t about to let a bunch of idiot angels drag them back out of her. 

“Yes,” Raphael responded with a nod that bespoke an eternity of certainty. Chloe suddenly understood Lucifer’s impulse to fight any of his siblings on sight.

“You see, Detective Decker,” Gabriel cut in, once again trying to be the reasonable one. “Our brother Fell because he refused to bow to humanity. To believe he would willingly tie himself to a human for the rest of your life... it’s unthinkable.”

“Is this about the fact he said yes when I proposed?”

“Our brother has always taken his word seriously. What better way to attach him to you for the rest of your life than to get him to vow to protect and cherish you?” Raphael asked. 

“Come now, Detective Decker,” Gabriel took over again, doing her best at a persuasive croon. It had nothing on Lucifer’s. “Surely there’s nothing a disgraced Archangel can give you that the four of us can’t top. Just promise to stay away from our brother and whatever you desire is yours. Just give up your power over Lucifer.” 

“You really don’t get it, do you?” Chloe asked, looking at them all in disbelief. “He has as much power over me as I have over him.”

“Which you’ve said is none!” Remiel cried, and when Chloe went to protest, the Archangel just kept speaking over her. “Come, siblings, we will gain nothing from her tonight. Let her stew in her guilt. Perhaps she’ll realize that her power over our brother isn’t worth the pain she’s causing others.” 

“What are you talking about?” Chloe asked, something dangerous inside her going very still. 

Remiel cocked her head with a cruel smile. “Amenadiel cares very much for his child. I suppose it is asking too much to think that a human who would trap the Devil would care about hers.” 

Suddenly, Chloe was across the room, hands fisted in Remiel’s collar. “Don’t you dare go near my daughter.” 

Remiel smirked, but Michael, of all angels, cut in. “The innocent have nothing to fear from us, Chloe Jane Decker.” He pulled her gently, but inexorably away from Remiel. 

“Then why am I here?” Chloe demanded, whirling to face him. 

“I said the innocent. You have warped and tried to control our brother. We will not allow this to stand,” he said, eyes still filled with cool anger. 

Chloe thought about the countless therapy sessions Lucifer had gone to over the years. About the late night talks about what his family abandoning him had done to him. About how long it had taken him to realize he was worthy of actual love. Not just sex, or favours, but something that demanded nothing in return. About how casually he still talked about the fact that even the thought of his family’s influence had driven him to self mutilate over and over and over again. About how he cared more about her crying over the story of him hurting himself than he did about him actually hurting himself. About how he still sometimes wondered if he were worthy of the family it had taken time and effort and sheer determination to slowly build around him. Something inside Chloe broke. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to hurt Michael just as badly as he’d hurt Lucifer. As he was still hurting Lucifer, by keeping her here. 

She punched him. Hard. Right hook, straight to the jaw. 

His head whipped aside with a satisfying ‘thwack’, but before Chloe could line up her planned knee-to-the-balls follow up, he turned and growled at her, putting one hand on her chest and shoving. Chloe flew across the room and into the wall, before sliding slowly to the floor. 

“Brother!” Gabriel cried, getting between them and holding up a hand to stop her brother. 

“She hurt me, sister.” Michael growled, but stopped when Gabriel laid a hand on his chest. “She’s not human.” 

“We already suspected that when we realized she could control Lucifer,” Gabriel reminded him. 

Chloe blinked at them as she waited for the shock to fade and the pain to set in. After all, she’d just been thrown into a wall. Hard. She knew she was human. She was a miracle of a human, sure, but that didn’t change anything. In fact, Lucifer was the only angel she was supposed to be able to hurt, and that was only because he was willing to be vulnerable around her. She still didn’t like that, but she’d learned to live with it, if that was the price of having him in her life. 

“Now, let’s leave so we can all calm down,” Gabriel was saying, apparently convincing her brother as he seemed to back down from the war path. 

Chloe watched from her position slouched on the floor as the pain still failed to kick in while Gabriel managed to herd her siblings out of the room. Once the others were out, Gabriel turned back to face Chloe. 

“Should you need anything, just pray and it will appear,” she told Chloe. “If you are as human as you claim, the Silver City will respond to your wishes.” 

“Including letting me out of here and sending me back to Earth so I can be with my family?”

“Your daughter will be waiting for you when you recant your hold on our brother,” Gabriel told her, kindly but firmly. If Chloe had been closer, she would have tried to claw the angel’s eyes out. 

“Lucifer’s my family too, you bitch,” she snarled instead. 

“No, Detective Decker,” Gabriel said, and for the first time, Chloe saw concern and rage in the Archangel’s eyes. “He’s ours.” 

And with that the door closed and vanished into the wall like it had never been there. Chloe beat on the walls for a while, explored every inch of her prison, tried everything she could to get out. Nothing came close to working. She even took her phone out, but there was no reception in Heaven.

Eventually, she sank to the floor with a dejected sigh. She was well and truly trapped, with no way to get a message to anyone that she was ok. Well, sort of ok. Or at least where she was. 

Heaven. The only place Lucifer could never go, he’d told her. Too bad his idiodic siblings had thought that far ahead. 

What she really needed, she thought, was a drink. Her favourite beer appeared on the ground next to her, in easy reach. 

She glared at it for a while, before giving in, opening it and taking a long drink of the cold beer. It was exactly what she’d needed. 

Well, what she’d needed of what she could have. She couldn’t see her family, couldn’t go to work, couldn't do anything constructive. 

For all that this was apparently Heaven, it sure felt like Hell to her. 

***

This was Hell. 

It had to be. 

Any minute now, the loop would restart and he’d get to see her again and she’d propose. He could be happy for a moment before she was taken away again. 

Any minute now. 

Any minute. 

Lucifer shook his head, ridding himself of the desperate belief. Afterall, if he were in Hell, then there was every chance Chloe was safe somewhere on Earth, carrying on with her life even as she mourned him. 

Instead it was the other way around. 

Chloe was gone and he was left to mourn. 

No, he told himself firmly as he threw back another drink, no, he refused to mourn her. She wasn’t dead, she couldn’t be. She had to still be alive somewhere, fighting to free herself, counting on him to have her back! And he would, as soon as there was any hint of where she might be. 

It had been two days since she vanished. 

Ella had tracked her phone only to get an error result. They’d checked the security footage on her street. She’d come out of her apartment complex and then, as she was walking down the path, everything turned to static. By the time the video came on again, she was gone. 

There were no suspicious cars in the area. She hadn’t received any threats from the case they’d been working on, nor any of the cases they’d worked for the last month. 

There was no reason for her to be taken. 

Unless someone was trying to get to him. 

He’d always hated that she and Beatrice could be used against him. That people knew they could be used against him. Not because it meant he had a weakness, no, but because it meant that the people he loved, the people who’d helped him learn what family really meant, were in danger because of him. 

The only time he and Chloe had fought about it, she’d told him that if she had to live with her making him vulnerable, so did he. That she knew he was worth the risk of having him in her life just as he knew having her in his life was worth it. That had ended that argument. 

He hoped she still felt the same, now that she was suffering for it. 

When he found her, he swore he would make whoever had taken her go through whatever suffering they’d put her through tenfold. If he was feeling generous. He wasn’t. 

It had been two days. Two days of pure Hell and they were no closer to finding her then when they’d started. Even Maze couldn’t find a lead, saying it was like she’d just disappeared off the face of the Earth. 

Lucifer threw back the last of his whiskey before pouring himself another glass. 

He hadn’t drunk at first. He’d wanted to be involved in everything, no time for drinking, but eventually they’d kicked him out. Something about ‘the partner and now fiancée of the victim (he’d nearly thrown someone through a wall when they’d referred to Chloe so impersonally, but that would have meant one fewer people looking for her, so he’d stopped himself) couldn’t be so personally involved.’

He’d left then, but only because Daniel and Ms. Lopez were still on the case, and would inform him of any leads that the detective in charge of the case might want to keep from him. And besides, it was easier to deal with some of his contacts without the police following him around. 

At least he wasn’t a suspect. Too many traffic cams catching him driving too and from Lux. The fact that they’d wasted time checking had made him almost lose control of his Devil Face. But again, broken people couldn’t find Chloe, so he’d kept himself under control. 

It was slipping now. Even though the alcohol wasn’t affecting him (another reminder that she wasn’t there), his precious self control was slipping. He would go into a rage tonight, he realized, probably destroy the penthouse in his hopelessness. But the one person who could keep him in check wasn’t there, and there was nothing else he could do. 

The elevator dinged and Lucifer looked up, ready to tell whoever it was to leave him the Hell alone and maybe put the fear of the Devil into them, when the last person he’d expected to be at the penthouse stepped out. 

“What are you doing here, Urchin?” He asked Beatrice as she stepped from the elevator. 

“Making sure you don’t self-destruct without mom around.” She told him, giving him, and particularly the glass in his hand, a look that only a fourteen year old could pull off. 

“Yes... Well...” He put the glass aside and turned to face her. “Does your father know you’re here?” 

“He dropped me off,” Beatrice told him, giving him another look. This one said very clearly that he wasn’t getting rid of her that easily. Not that he really wanted to, but if he were going to break down, he didn’t want to scare her. “With everything I need to crash here overnight.” She shrugged a shoulder, showing off the strap of her backpack. 

“It shouldn’t be your responsibility to keep me in line, Spawn,” he growled. He was going to have words with Daniel for using his daughter like this. Chloe might choose to approach him when he was in one of his moods, but she was an adult. She understood the risks. No one should have asked this of Beatrice. 

“It was my idea, Lucifer,” Beatrice said with an eyeroll that made her look so much like her mother that he wanted to hold on and never let go, lest someone take her too. She must have seen some of that in his eyes, because she dropped her bag, came over and wrapped her arms around his waist, with just as much love, if not as much enthusiasm as when they’d first met. “I miss Mom too,” she said into his chest. “And I’m scared I’m gonna lose more than one parent with this.” 

“You’re not going to lose any parents, sweetheart,” he reassured her, holding her close. “It’s only been two days. We can’t give up on your mother yet.” 

“And what about my step-dad?” Beatrice said, leaning back to glare at him. “He’s been gone as long as Mom has.” 

“Step-dad?” Lucifer asked. “You don’t have a step-dad.” 

She gave him her best skeptical look. Given that she was a teenager, it was fairly impressive. “Do you really think Mom would propose without talking to me first?”

“No, I don’t suppose she would,” Lucifer said, looking down at her. “You... you really don’t mind?”

“I know your family worked you over, and when I die,” Lucifer couldn’t help the sudden clench of his arms around her. He didn’t want either of his Deckers to die. “Mom promised me she’d hold your dad down while I hit him every way Maze taught me.” He couldn’t help but smile at the image. “But I really thought you understood we were family, Lucifer. Ring, no ring, doesn’t matter.” She gave him a penetrating look she must have learned from her mother. “You’re family, Lucifer. Even if...” She sniffled a little. “Even if Mom doesn’t come back, I don’t want to lose you, ok?” She punched him on the arm. If her mother had been there, it probably would have hurt quite a bit. 

“Rabid hellhounds couldn’t keep me away, darling,” he reassured her, kissing the top of her head before letting her go and taking a step away so he could look at her properly. “Now, onto being the responsible adult your mother wants me to be.” Beatrice smiled at that, and it warmed his heart a little. “Any homework left to do? Have you eaten supper?” He racked his brains. “Any miscreants you want to tell me about while your mother’s not here to stop me from punishing them?”

Beatrice rolled her eyes at him. “It’s Friday, so homework can wait till tomorrow, no, I haven’t eaten, and yes, there is someone I want you to punish.”

Lucifer’s eyebrows went up at that last one. She never let him punish anyone, assuring him she could handle whatever it was on her own. He felt his temper flare. If someone had done something to her that made her think they deserved the Devil’s person attention, he would handle them, alright. 

“Who?” He let out in a dangerous hiss. Beatrice did not look impressed. 

“Well, you see, this person was a bit of an ass, but he had a fairly good reason, so I’ve thought a lot about it and I know exactly how I want you to punish him.” 

“Whatever you desire,” Lucifer promised. 

“Good,” Beatrice said, looking him straight in the eye. “My step-dad hasn’t come to see me or check up on me since my mom went missing two days ago. I want you to punish him by forcing him to watch two movies with me, of my choosing, without complaining. And I want him to order from my favourite Mexican place. And--”

“A piece of chocolate cake?” Lucifer asked, trying to cover his guilt. It really hadn’t been fair of him to leave her when her mother was missing. 

“Two pieces of chocolate cake, with ice cream,” Beatrice finished, looking very smug. “But don’t worry, we can share dessert.”

Lucifer gave her a look. “You, spawn, have been spending too much time with Maze.” 

She raised an eyebrow at him. “So, you gonna punish my step dad, or what?”

“Yes, yes, very well,” he told her, “I am a Devil of my word. Now, shall I order your usual while you pick out the movies, or was there something specific you wanted?”

“Nope, my usual’s good.” Beatrice told him with the delight of a job well done in her eyes, the little minx, before going and plopping down on his couch and grabbing the remote to pull up his subscriptions. Lucifer smiled as he pulled out his cellphone and made the appropriate orders before joining her on the couch. 

He cleared his throat. He really had been ignoring his duties as a future step-parent the last two days, and Chloe would be rightly pissed at him if she got back and he still hadn’t cleared things up. 

“Do you want to talk about your feelings?” he tried. “I know your mother’s disappearance has been hard for both of us.” 

She didn't look away from the screen. “I’ll talk if you will,” she replied. 

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Did I ever tell you I regret teaching you to make deals?”

“Nope, we both know you don’t lie,” she shot back, not missing a beat. 

“No, I bloody well don’t.”

“So, are we talking, or what?” Beatrice asked, finger hovering over the play button. 

‘Honesty,’ Dr. Linda would tell him. ‘And Bravery.’ If he was going to be any kind of father, he’d be a damn sight better than his own. 

“I’m scared,” he finally admitted. “It’s been two days and there are no leads. I don’t know what to do.” 

“I’m scared too,” Beatrice replied, voice just as quiet and careful as his. “I know Mom’s job is dangerous, I’m used to being afraid for her, but normally you’re there to have her back. It’s scary knowing she’s out there and you’re not with her. I know you two can handle anything as long as you’re together. Seeing you before you realized it was me... I don’t want to lose either of you, and I’m scared I’m going to lose you both.” 

“You won’t, Spawn,” he promised her, wrapping an arm around her. “I promise you, you won’t.”

***

It was several hours, two movies, mexican, chocolate cake and ice cream later that Lucifer found himself looking down at a more than half asleep Beatrice on his couch, his heart lighter than it had been since Daniel had walked into the lab. Chloe might still be missing, but he still had a family, still had a reason to pull himself together, to keep going. And he wasn’t going to forget that again. 

“Come on, Urchin, off to bed,” He said, giving her a gentle shake. 

“Mmndngmn,” she grumbled instead. With a sigh and a quick detour to pick up her bag, he scooped her into his arms and started making his way to the guest bedroom. He looked down at her with love in his heart, and that was when he noticed the self satisfied smirk. 

“You know, if you wanted me to carry you, all you had to do is ask,” he grumbled without any real heat. 

“Yeah, but then you could have asked for something in return,” she told him, not opening her eyes. “My way is better.”

He nearly dropped her and her bag then and there, but decided against it. After all, she’d given them both what they needed tonight. He walked into the guest room and laid her on top of the covers, knowing she’d get up and ready for bed properly once he left. 

“Thank you, Urchin, for tonight,” he told her, placing her bag carefully on the bed beside her, still somewhat awkward after all these years. “It was exactly what I needed.” Tomorrow, he’d go back to the case rested and refreshed and who knew what ideas would come to him in the night. 

“That’s what family does, Lucifer,” she reminded him sleepily. “Looks after each other. I’m sorry your family never taught you that.”

Lucifer blinked down at her. His birth family had never cared about him the way his new family did. But still, aside from Amenadiel, there was one member of his old family who might care enough to help. Who might come if he asked, and be able to give him an answer. He had no guarantees, but he had to try. 

“You’re my family now,” he told his soon to be step-daughter before retreating to the living room. She’d be able to look after herself. He’d see her in the morning. 

He sunk onto the couch in front of the now dark TV and held his hand together, palm to palm. 

“Azrael,” he breathed, “Rae-Rae. You always were my favourite little sister. I need you now. Please come. Please.” 

She’d be able to tell him if Chloe was alive or dead. Hell, if she were near death, Rae-Rae might even be able to tell him where she was. He hoped that wouldn’t be the case. But still, something concrete to give him hope. To give the Urchin hope. 

He kept his head bent, and prayed as hard as he could.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How much do I love you guys? Staying up later than I should to edit it to get it out today. Thank you so much for all the comments and kudos. They really mean the world to me. Now, enough about me and onto the chapter!

Ella made her bleary way towards the front door of her apartment, cup of coffee in one hand, tire iron in the other. Whoever was at the door at this freakishly early hour on a Saturday was knocking, which suggested not-a-threat but the franticness of the knocking totally suggested otherwise. Well, better safe than sorry. She got to the door and gave an annoyed look at the doorknob, which selfishly required a hand to operate. After careful consideration, she made sure the door chain was securely attached before putting down the tire iron, taking another sip of her coffee and opening the door as far as the chain would allow. 

“Who is it?” she asked, not her fully cheerful self. Well, if whoever it was had a problem with that, they could not get between her and her first cup of coffee. 

“Me, Ms. Lopez, obviously,” Lucifer replied, before pushing the suddenly unchained door open and stepping past her into her apartment. 

“Woah, dude,” Ella said, suddenly much more awake than just coffee would make her. “You look like--”

“Hell?” He asked with a smile that was way past the good side of manic. And he totally did. His hair was a mess, his shirt not buttoned properly and he wasn’t even wearing eyeliner. “Feel like it too,” he finished. 

Ella felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. “Is it... Did they find Chloe?” she asked, reaching out to him. She’d been devastated by Chloe’s kidnapping--they’d all been. But if they’d found her... if it was too late... Man, that would just  _ destroy _ Lucifer. 

“No, not yet,” he reassured her, taking a half step away from the offer of physical contact, manic grin still creepily on his face. “But I think I might have a lead. I just need you to do me one  _ small _ favour and, hopefully, we’ll know something more than we did before, hm?”

“Lucifer, you know I’d do anything to get Chloe back. We’re friends, man, and friends don’t trade favours. So, what can I do to help?”

“I need you to pray, Ms. Lopez. With all your experience that shouldn’t be too difficult.” 

“You? Lucifer Morningstar, self-proclaimed Devil who hates the Big-Guy, want me to pray for you? I mean, I know my relationship with the Big Guy is better than yours, but I don’t think he’d ignore you if you prayed. And, besides, it’s not like he answers directly, if he answers at all.” 

“The Big-Guy? You think I want you to pray to  _ Dad? _ No, Ms. Lopez, if he gave a  _ flying fuck  _ we wouldn’t be in this position, now would we?” Aaaand Lucifer was yelling at the ceiling again. Not that Ella could really blame him. What he was going through was  _ hard _ . Lucifer worked really hard all the time to be a good partner for Chloe and now she was missing... Ella braced herself and reached out to her friend. 

“Alright, Lucifer, I’ll pray for you. Who do you want me to pray to? Michael?” If he didn’t want to go straight to the Big-Guy, the patron angel of police officers seemed like pretty solid supernatural protection for Chloe. 

“That arsehole?” Lucifer asked with a shudder. “No, I need you to pray to Rae-Rae.”

Ella froze. 

“How do you know about Rae-Rae?”

“Because she’s my sister,  _ obviously _ .” Lucifer said with a growl. “Now, if you can please just pray to her--”

“Lucifer, I had know idea your sister died!” Ella said, coming in and giving him the big hug he desperately needed. Also, wow had his parents been fans of diversity. Was everyone in his family adopted? And poor Lucifer, to lose his little sister! No wonder the idea of losing Chloe was hitting him so hard!

“She’s not dead, she’s Death,” Lucifer said, extracting himself from the hug. “And apparently, she’s appointed herself your guardian angel, so while she’s been ignoring  _ my _ prayers all night, perhaps she’ll listen to you.” 

“I--You  _ talk _ to her--Death?--Wait, you  _ prayed? _ ”

“How else am I supposed to contact my angelic siblings?” Lucifer asked, throwing his hands up in the air. “It’s not like any of them have cell phones! Well, aside from Amenadiel.” 

“Lucifer,” Ella said, reaching out to put a comforting hand on his forearm. “Rae-Rae’s not an angel, she’s a ghost.” Which he should know, given that she was his sister. 

Lucifer opened his mouth to shout something at her, only to snap it closed and take a deep breath. And another. And another. 

“Ms. Lopez,” He finally managed, though his teeth were still mega clenched. “I know you don’t believe me when I say I’m the Devil. I know you think I’m a method actor no matter how many times I tell you the truth, but would you  _ please _ , for Chloe’s sake, indulge me in this? I mean, if I’m wrong, no harm, no foul, right? So, if you’ll just  _ put your hands together and pray _ ,” He grabbed her wrists and put her hands together. “Please, Ella.”

Well, that shot any protests she might have had way deader than dead. Lucifer  _ never _ called her Ella. 

“Ok,” She told him, closing her eyes and getting ready to pray. “I’ll pray to her.” 

“Call her Azrael,” Lucifer told her, “It works best with our God-Given names.” 

Ella opened her eyes to give him a look, but he just made a ‘go on’ gesture so, with a shrug, she did. 

_ Hey Rae-Rae--Or, uh, Azrael, I guess. Your brother wants to talk to you. His partner’s gone missing and he’s really freaking out. Maybe talking to his little sister would help? Also, not the point, but would it have killed you to mention that he can see and speak to you too? Make me feel just a little less crazy? _

“Azrael, there you are,” Lucifer cut off further prayer. “Too busy to answer my prayers, but happy enough to come along for your fav--Oof!”

Ella opened her eyes to see Rae-Rae glomping a slack jawed Lucifer. 

“Lu! You ok? Ella told me what happened. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here sooner. There was a natural disaster last night and it was really  _ all _ hands on deck, and by the time I got to your penthouse, you weren’t there and it’s not like I have angelic tracking abilities for people who aren’t dead. Or, well, about to be dead. Anyway, when you weren’t there, I didn’t know where to look until Ella prayed--You told her about me?” She let go of him long enough to punch him in the arm. “I don’t want you breaking my favourite human, Lu!”

“Yes, well, there are much more important things that need dealing with. Besides, since you  _ are _ my favourite little sister and I do want you at my wedding--”

“Wedding?” Rae-Rae squeed. “You finally asked her?” 

“ _ She _ asked  _ me _ .” Lucifer said, expression in the no-man’s land between disgruntled and something much more intense than just self satisfied. “And since I want both of you there, someone was going to have to tell Ms. Lopez the truth eventually.” Ella’s heart hurt as his face fell and reality came back to give him a sucker punch. “But someone’s  _ taken _ her, Rae-Rae. I just need to know--Can you sense her? Have you seen her?  _ Is it too late? _ ”

Rae-Rae paused for a moment and something about her  _ changed _ . She didn’t look human anymore. Oh, sure, she still had the right shape, but  _ something _ \--

_ She’s not dead, she’s Death. _

“I can’t feel her, Lu,” Rae-Rae said, back to looking human again. “And I gave orders that, when it was time, I was the one to take her but... well, with everything that’s going on, maybe someone forgot to tell me?”

“So, she’s either nowhere near death or she’s already gone?” Lucifer looked  _ way _ past frustrated and back into hopeless. 

“Look, normally I wouldn’t do this,” Rae-Rae said, her mouth scrunching up, “Not supposed to interfere and all, but there have to be some perks to being my favourite older brother, right?”

Some hope crept back into Lucifer’s eyes and he nodded for her to go on. 

“I’m going to pass the word through the ranks that if anyone has taken her up or down--”

“Up,” Lucifer ground out. “There is no way that Chloe Decker is ending up in Hell.” 

“Then I want to know,” Rae-Rae continued, ignoring her brother, “that’ll give me enough time to deal with the ‘All Archangels Emergency Meeting’--”

“It can hardly be all of us if I wasn’t invited, now can it?” Lucifer interrupted with what Ella really wanted to call a smile. 

“You know what I mean, Lu,” Rae-Rae responded, giving him a patented Younger Sister Eye-Roll that Ella was long familiar with. She almost offered Rae-Rae her shoe, before deciding Lucifer had had enough of a rough time recently. “Now, I’ll go do what I can to look after your human, so you look after mine, ok?”

Finally, for the first time, she turned to face Ella, giving her an uneasy smile. 

“I know this is a lot, Ella, but you’re safe with him, ok? We’re both the same people--well, Angels--that you knew before. If--If you don’t want me to come back, just send me a prayer, ok?” 

“Nonsense,” Lucifer cut in, putting on a totally casual face that wasn’t fooling  _ anyone _ . “She can hardly be doing without her guardian angel.”

“It’s her choice, Lu,” Rae-Rae cut him off. “But if you messed this up for me, I’m going to tell Amenadiel... Tell Amenadiel...”

“Yes, just what will you tell our dear eldest brother that I couldn’t retaliate in kind against, hm?” Lucifer responded with the smirk of an older brother that made Ella  _ really _ reconsider her shoe related decision. 

“I’ll think of something!” Rae-Rae grumbled. “Now, I  _ really _ got to get going. Our siblings are going to be  _ pissed _ if they find out I neglected my duties to come see you.” 

“Yes, well, they always were a bunch of pricks.” Lucifer said. 

“Especially Michael.” The brother-sister pair chorused in a way that was just way too cute before Lucifer-- _ Lucifer!-- _ wrapped Rae-Rae in a hug. 

“Hurry back, will you?” He breathed, holding his little sister close. “And don’t worry, I’ll be gentle with Ms. Lopez. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this, after all.” 

“You better be,” Rae-Rae said, stepping back. Then she spread her wings-- _ wings!!!-- _ and vanished. 

Lucifer turned to Ella, expression somewhere between sheepish and apprehensive. 

“I’ve always wanted to try this line... Be not afraid?” He tried with a smile that did  _ nothing  _ to hide how nervous he was. Not if you knew him as well as Ella did, anyway. 

“Dude,” Ella said, giving herself a shake and trying to process the enormity of everything she’d just seen. “DUDE!”

“Yes, everything I’ve ever told you is true.” Lucifer said, standing super still for some reason. “I am the Devil, but you don’t need to worry about me hurting you.” 

“Hurting me?” Ella scoffed. It was a good scoff, if she said so herself. “Why would I worry about that? You’re just a big softy is what you are. No, you told Rae-Rae you were gonna look after me, and right now? There’s only one thing I want.” 

She went over to her desk and rummaged around in it. Come on--they had to be there somewhere--

“And what is that?” Lucifer asked from behind her. Aha! There they are!

“Answers? What else?” She turned around, holding up a notebook and some pens, before marching over to grab his sleeve and drag him to the kitchen. “And my first question is: since when do  _ you _ hug??”

***

As the Archangels argued around her, Chloe found that beating her head against the table, while causing her no physical pain, did provide some comfort. 

“She could have entrapped him sexually, with her feminine wiles, as Eve once did,” countered Remiel. 

_ Thump _ . Who the hell used a word like ‘wiles’?  _ Thump.  _ Of course, Chloe could counter, but--

“Don’t be ridiculous, he’s slept with far more humans than her. In fact, by our records, it took him years to get into her!” snapped Raphael, finally showing some exasperation after what felt like  _ days _ of indifference. 

_ Thump _ . --one of the Archangels was bound to make a counter argument for her. 

“Could it be that she denied him?” Asked Gabriel.  _ Thump. _ “Is that what intrigued him so? That she was able to resist his powers?”

_ Thump _ . Well, it wasn’t like Gabriel was wrong. That  _ was _ what had first caught his attention. Wasn’t what kept it though. 

“But how did she have the power to deny him?” Counted Remiel.  _ Thump _ . “What human can resist our powers?”

_ Thump _ . “More like a gift from God, really,” Chloe muttered to herself, remembering Lucifer’s first explanation about his powers. Damn but she missed him.  _ Thump. Thump. Thumpthumpthump. _

“You  _ dare _ disrespect our father?” You dare mock him?” Michael asked, grabbing Chloe’s shoulders and pushing her upright in her seat, ruining her comforting head-thumping rhythm. “Your powers are nothing like ours, witch.” 

Rage coursed through Chloe at that. A familiar emotion these days. 

“And what if I was?” she snarled. “What if I was disrespecting or mocking one of the worst parents I have  _ ever _ had the misfortune to hear about? What if I was saying that after everything he’s done to Lucifer he deserved to spend the rest of his existence in prison with the worst of the worst?”

“You  _ dare! _ ” cried Remiel. 

“Oh, you  _ bet _ I dare!” Chloe cried right back, surging to her feet and leaning over to put her face in Remiel’s. “Where do I even start? Criminal negligence or child abandonment? And that’s not even  _ touching _ the emotional abuse that would leave someone more than willing to  _ repeatedly mutilate themselves _ rather than having any attachment to the family he thinks violated him.”

“We have  _ never _ violated our brother.” Gabriel cut in, the look in her eyes telling Chloe to back down. 

“No,” Chloe agreed, turning to face Gabriel and not backing down at all. “Just abandoned him to suffer for millennia alone. And don’t you think it says something that Lucifer believed to the very core of him that your father would?” She let a slow, vicious smile play across her lips. It was one she’d learned from Lucifer. “I think I’ve finally figured out what this is all about. You don’t want to protect your brother at all. No, now that he’s finally healing, finally figuring out how to be happy after all this time, you’re trying to take that away from him too!”

Michael surged to his feet with a roar, wings flaring out behind him. 

“If you  _ dare _ say that we do not act in our brother’s best interest when you have  _ twisted _ him to your will--”

“You’ll what? Hurt me?” Chloe asked, sinking back into her seat and letting her inner Lucifer go wild. “We both know you can’t.” They’d already tried. It hadn’t worked. “And you know, those wings are a lot less scary when I know how to use them to make you orgasm.” Well, assuming all angels had the same general erogenous zones, she did. Not that she would ever do that to anyone except Lucifer, but it did seem to finally shut them up. 

The table was silent, everyone staring at her with a horrified expression. 

“You would... His... his wings?” Gabriel finally managed, sounding horrified and slightly intrigued. 

“And you ask us to believe he, who would not bend the knee when our father commanded, would kneel to you?” Michael asked, sneering. 

So, they were uncomfortable with the idea of their brother having sex? Well, you didn’t spend years with Lucifer Morningstar as your partner without learning to make an innuendo or two. And Michael had just handed her the perfect straight line. 

“Oh, he’ll kneel for me,” Chloe said, doing her best to not blush. After all, the point was to distress her kidnappers, not embarrass herself. “And use his tongue to worship until my knees give out, if I let him.” And he would. He loved wearing her out--damned celestial stamina. And she’d let him, as soon as she got home. She’d let him every night for a week, and they could spend their days with Trixie and she’d finally get to treat him the way he deserved-- but only if she could get home. She missed her family, missed her  _ life _ and she wanted nothing more than to hurt the people--angels--whatever! Who had taken her away from it. 

So far, talking about sex with their brother or insulting their father were the only two things that got under their skin. Which one would be the best tactic?

Before she could decide, the door to her prison appeared and opened. 

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late,” an angel looking like a young east-asian woman with short hair and dramatic eyeliner, dressed in a rep cape with two fish clasps, came into the room, closing the door behind her. “There was this  _ major _ \--what’s Chloe doing here?”

“Azrael,” Chloe felt the blood drain from her face. She might not know that much about Christian theology, but she did know the name of the Angel of Death. Maybe there  _ was _ something that could hurt her here. “We have brought this human witch here to free our brother of her influence. To ensure he has the freedom he Fell for.” Michael shot Chloe a look that would have left a burning crater where she stood, if looks could kill. Fortunately, no killing humans and, apparently, not hurting them in Heaven either. For now, she was safe. Unless Azrael was about to pull something. 

“Oh no, guys, tell me you didn’t...” Azrael said, looking around at her siblings desperately. “Did none of you remember how this went for Uriel? Seriously guys?” 

Chloe’s heart clenched, remembering how much pain Lucifer had been in, how badly she’d handled it, but she couldn’t care less about the death of the attempted murderer who’d tried to kill her. 

“He killed Uriel to protect our mother,” Raphael spoke up. 

“Uh, no. He did it to protect both of them.” Azrael responded, raising her eyebrows. “Come on, Chloe, back me up here.” 

“He did it for both of us,” Chloe agreed with her apparently possible ally? “He wanted to keep both of us safe.”

“ _ Lies _ ,” hissed Remiel. 

“Uh, no. Truth.” Azrael responded. “As Chlo and I are the only two people who have actually spoken to Lu about this, I think we’re the most likely to know.” 

“She has spoken to Lucifer! She controls what he does, what he thinks!”

“Have any of you ever known  _ anyone _ who could control Lu?” 

“No, don’t you see, Rae-Rae?” Gabriel asked with all the condosention of an older sibling. “No one could ever control our brother, and now he’s willing to bind himself to a mortal for the rest of her life? He does what she asks, he bends to her will, she cannot be allowed to continue!”

“Rae-Rae?” Chloe asked, searching the other woman’s face. Lucifer had talked about his favourite little sister, who sometimes visited, but never when Chloe was around. Apparently she was shy. His shy little sister was the Angel of Death?

“In the flesh!” Rae-Rae responded with a grin, before it turned to a frown. “Or, well, spirit, I guess.” 

For the first time in days, Chloe felt a genuine smile spread across her face. Maybe she had a chance of getting out of here after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Ella Lopez to pieces in the show and writing from the inside of her brain was pure, unadulterated hell. None of my characters are ever that happy or enthusiastic. It was a real challenge and I congratulate the writers of the Show for being able to write such a diverse cast of characters. As for me? owwwwwwwww.
> 
> But HUZZAH! We are finally past the halfway point of the story! Chloe has an ally! Lucifer too! Now they just need to get her out of there and back to her life. How will they manage? Well, that's for me to know and you to find out as soon as I finish editing. :P
> 
> Also, self isolating due to COVID 19 has me bored out of my skull and I can only drag my friends into this fandom so fast. They make it so difficult with all the kicking and the screaming. *sigh* SO, if any Lucifans are looking for someone new to talk to and maybe let me bounce idea for future fanfics off of hit me up on Tumblr! 
> 
> https://ptolomeia.tumblr.com/
> 
> See you guys again soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REALLY WANTED TO GET THIS UP BEFORE THERAPY AND MY FRIEND'S SEDER. DONE THE REWRITE, WILL CHECK FOR TYPOS *LATER*. 
> 
> Thank you all for the lovely support! I really appreciate it and will reply to comments on chapter three either later tonight or tomorrow. 
> 
> Happy Pesach to all my Jewish readers! 
> 
> And on that note, onto our story and a word from God

There are many things God is. 

He is vengeful.

He is benevolent. 

He is jealous.

He is kind. 

There are many things God is not. 

God is not omniscient, nor is he omnipotent.

Not anymore anyway. 

He hasn’t been since he created humans and gave them free will. After all, how can will truly be free if He has the power to control it? How can He know everything that will truly come to pass if the people deciding haven’t made their free decision yet? Oh, He might know all the possibilities, but that doesn’t mean he knows which one will become a reality. Not until after the fact. 

As you can see, God is many things. He’s rather like humans that way. After all, He did make us in His image. 

There is one more thing God is. 

He is  _ sorry _ .

***

Ella finally had herself and a bemused Lucifer seated at her kitchen table, both armed with fresh cups of coffee, (Lucifer’s spiked with whatever he had in his flask), and Ella armed with her notepad. She was more than ready, pen poised and ready to jump into note taking action. She had sooooooooo many questions. She’d asked the less important ones, the ones she didn’t need notes for while they were getting settled, but now it was time to get to the Big Ones. 

“So,” she said, giving Lucifer her biggest grin. “Tell me  _ everything _ .”

“Where do you want me to start?” Lucifer asked, smile turning bitter. Maybe she shouldn’t be so enthusiastic, Ella wondered. Lucifer never liked talking about his family. “With the greatest Fall of all time?”

***

God wasn’t proud of how He’d handled His son’s rebellion, but, as previously mentioned, He  _ was _ a vengeful God. 

When Samael had started asking why, God had ignored him, told him to get back to work, and he had. 

Then God created humans and commanded His first children to love them, as every older sibling should. 

Samael had refused. 

God had been furious and cast his son into the pits of Hell, where he could deal with the souls unworthy of God’s attention, of a place in His home. After all, with freedom came freedom to face the consequences. If His son hated humanity so, then he could deal with the worst of them for all eternity. 

God barred the Gates of the Silver City against his son for all eternity, should he ever try to return. 

His son cast away his name and chose to become Lucifer, no longer wanting to be “of God”.

It was much,  _ much _ later, when watching a human father hold his rebelling child close and ask what was wrong that God began to wonder if he may have made a mistake. 

***

A few years before she proposed, Chloe found herself on her living room couch, with an arm around a very tense Lucifer. 

“Do you want to talk about what happened today?” 

“What’s there to talk about?” Lucifer asked, throwing back some whiskey from his flask, before tucking it away in his suit again. 

“Lucifer,” Chloe said, trying to sound more encouraging than admonishing. “I know this one hit close to home.”

“What do you want me to say, Chloe? At least my father didn’t kill me when he kicked me out? That with all the pain and terror I went through when I Fell, I should at least be grateful he didn’t put a bullet between my eyes when he was done inflicting pain?”   
  


“Lucifer,” Chloe’s voice held some anger this time, before she could tamp it down, but it was too late. He’d already flinched from her. “Lucifer, you know I’ve never said that and I never will.” She managed to keep her voice soothing this time. It wasn’t his fault he’d been abused, but he was responsible for how he took it out on her, and they both knew it. 

“You’re right,” he sighed, leaning back against her. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I just hate that the bastard is still alive, after everything he did.” 

“You showed him what was waiting for him when he does go, Lucifer. He’ll spend the rest of his life terrified out of his mind by that truth.” She hadn’t interfered with Lucifer showing this perp his Face. After the state they’d found his kid in, he’d deserved worse. 

“Lucifer...” She assumed he knew. He had to know, right? But sometimes, some things just needed saying. “You know that, if I could, I would drag your father down to the station in handcuffs for the whole world to see? Hell, I might even leave him in an interrogation room with the cameras off for a minute or three.”

She’d seen the physical results of his fall, after all. Even if they were only a manifestation now, not true injuries, Lucifer had told her that’s what he’d looked like, afterwards. Had told her how much pain he’d been in. 

Lucifer let out a soft laugh. 

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, you know?” He asked her, leaning more firmly against her. “I don’t know what I’ll do, when he takes you.” 

Chloe didn’t let herself freeze, but she wanted to. This was something they didn’t talk about. Ever. 

“You’re going to keep going, Lucifer. For Trixie, for Charlie. They’ll still need you. Even--no,  _ especially _ once I’m gone.” She told him firmly. She didn’t like to think of herself dying, of him having to go on without her, but, well, that was one of the parts of having an immortal partner, and she wasn’t about to let him go. 

“I’d storm Heaven to get you back, if it would do any good,” Lucifer admitted softly. “Of course, it wouldn’t actually do anything aside from making sure my siblings handed me my arse on a platter, but for you? I’d still do it.” 

“No, No storming Heaven for me when I die. Not if it’s just going to get you hurt.”

“No storming Heaven without your express permission,” He agreed, turning to kiss her softly on the nose. “Even if I can’t imagine anything more satisfying than watching you punch my dad.” 

“Jaw or nose?” Chloe asked, letting him take comfort in the idea that, this time, there would be people who would stand up for him. People who would protect him from his abusers. 

“Oh! No, definitely go for one of His damn All-Seeing-Eyes.” Lucifer cackled. “Wouldn’t that be wonderful! Actually, do you think you could get a nut-shot? I mean--”

Chloe snuggled herself a little closer as Lucifer babbled, content to listen to him heal. 

***

By the time God realized the magnitude of his mistake, it was far,  _ far _ too late. Even if he’d spoken to His son, Lucifer would not have listened. Would not have  _ believed _ . God had seen too many children in pain due to the actions of their parents not to understand. And, besides, even if He did want to bring His son home, he couldn’t. He’d barred the Gates of Heaven against His son for all eternity, and not even God could change that. 

***

Chloe stared at the Archangels arguing around her, who seemed to have completely forgotten she was there. At least this time one of them was on her side, even if the rest of them were ganging up on her. 

“Guys, you have no idea how bad taking away the woman he loves is for Lu,” Rae-Rae was insisting. “You should have seen him--”

“You spoke with him?” Michael raged, towering over Rae-Rae. Chloe had to hold back the instinct to get between them. This wasn’t a fight her training had equipped her for. 

“I... Uh.. May have swung by before coming up to see you guys...”

“Rae-Rae...” Gabriel didn’t sound mad, just disappointed. Chloe wanted to punch her in her stupid face. 

“You would have too if he’d been praying to you all night!” Rae-Rae tried to defend herself. “Lucifer  _ never _ prays like that!”

“No, they wouldn’t have,” Chloe grumbled. 

“Silence!” Remiel hissed. 

“No, really guys,” Rae-Rae said, but she was looking at Chloe. “I’ve never heard him pray like that before. He really wanted to hear from me--” she turned back to her siblings. “And it’s not like you guys are my only siblings, you know! I care about him too!”

“And we don’t?” Raphael asked, before continuing, but Chloe wasn’t paying attention anymore. 

Angels could hear prayers. Could Lucifer? Was there a way of getting a message to him? Letting him know where she was?”

He’d once said he’d storm Heaven for her, but  _ would it do any good _ ? Could she keep his strongest siblings distracted while he broke in? Would that be enough? Or maybe him being at the gates would distract the other Archangels and give Rae-Rae a chance to get her out of here. Yeah, that sounded like the better plan. Now, if she could just pull this off...

She let her forehead fall to the table, brought her palms together under it, hidden from the Archangels’ view, and prayed for all she was worth. 

***

God had realized, after millennia to think about it, that what He really wanted was for His son to be  _ happy _ . Lucifer wasn’t happy in Hell, that was for certain, and he couldn’t return to the Silver City. Earth and the humanity he’d once refused to love seemed the only choice left. His son needed a family, people to love and cherish and to be loved by and cherished by in return. Unfortunately, as proven by His son’s previous jaunts to Earth, they couldn’t be just anyone. Whoever they were, they would need to be able to help His son see past what God had mistakenly made him out to be. Lucifer needed people who would see him as more than the Devil. 

Good needed to find the right person to start the process. The rest, He knew, would come. 

And so He waited. His son deserved for Him to get this right the first time. 

Finally, the right couple with the right ingredients to raise the right child got together. Penelope and John Decker. Their child would be exactly what His son needed. Probably. 

There was only one problem. 

Penelope was infirtile. 

She didn’t know that, of course, not yet. They just thought they were having some trouble conceiving, but they hadn’t been trying for that long. 

It had taken many millennia for this chance to come. Not even God knew how long it would take for the next one. 

God was many things, but  _ patient _ was no longer one of them. 

He sent Amenadiel down to bless Penelope, and so little Chloe Jane Decker was born. He’d given her the ability to resist His son’s powers, but changed nothing else about her. She didn’t know it then, but God had a plan for her. His only problem was, it was up to her if she were going to achieve it. 

Fortunately for all of them, she did. 

***

Chloe’s words blazed across his mind, interrupting whatever he’d been about to say to Ms. Lopez.

_ Lucifer, I’m in Heaven, the Archangels took me. _

He was going to kill the bastards. He was going to  _ tear them limb from bloody limb _ .

_ Oh! I’m not actually dead. I’m still alive. I think. Well, Rae-Rae is here and she seemed to think I can get out of here, so my best guess is still alive. Besides, angels can’t kill, right? I know you said you wouldn’t storm Heaven without my express permission, but, uh, I think now might be the time? _

“Lucifer, are you alright? You have this crazy look on your face,” Ms. Lopez asked, waving a hand in front of his face. He snarled and grabbed her wrist. He didn’t have  _ time _ for distractions. 

_ If you can create a distraction, I think Rae-Rae might be able to get me out of here. Don’t let them hurt you any more than you absolutely need to, ok? See you soon. I love you. _

He felt a cry rip from his throat as the communication cut off. That was the thing about her being human. He couldn’t pray back. 

“Lucifer! What’s going on?!” Ms. Lopez demanded. 

Lucifer blinked before releasing her wrist. 

“My apologies, Ms. Lopez, but Chloe just called and she needs me.” 

“What? How? Is she alright?” she asked, looking around him for some kind of communication device. 

“She’s uninjured.” They couldn’t hurt her in Heaven, he knew that much. “She prayed to me and, for once, it’s a prayer I’ll answer.”

And with that, he spread his wings into existence. He had a moment to take in Ms. Lopez’s awed expression before he took off. Chloe needed him. 

***

Of course, it wouldn’t really be making amends to give Lucifer the family he deserved only to take away everyone who’d ever mattered when they died. To bar him from Heaven, from his new family, after barely a blink of an eye in an immortal's life, would have been crueler than simply casting him out in the first place. 

But there was nothing God could do. The Gates had responded to His will, and nothing in the universe was stronger than the Will of God. 

Well, not quite nothing. 

There was still the free will of a human. A living one, to be precise. Once they were dead, they had no power left to affect the universe. 

When God created Humanity, He told Heaven to give any human there what they needed, what they wanted, what they truly desired. 

Still, unless Chloe truly desired Lucifer in Heaven with her, there was nothing God could do. 

Or was there?

***

Chloe sat at the table, leaning forward, ready to leap to her feet as soon as the opportunity arose. She’d prayed to Lucifer, she’d prayed to Rae-Rae to let her know the plan. Now all she could do was wait. Lucifer was coming for her. Of that she had no doubt. 

***

Lucifer bore down on the Gates of the Silver City. He might not be able to get through them, but he wouldn’t go down without a fight. Hopefully, it would be enough to give Chloe what she needed. 

***

Chloe frowned. There was a little voice at the back of her mind. It sounded almost like Lucifer--The words were certainly Lucifer--but, why was she thinking that now?

***

_ Tell me, what is it you most desire? _

***

“I want Lucifer to take me home,” she breathed so quietly not even the Archangels around her heard. 

***

It was enough. 

***

For the first time since he’d Fallen, the Gates of Heaven opened for Lucifer at his approach. 


	5. Chapter 5

Trumpets sounded through the Silver City sounding light and bright and... confused?

Around Chloe, all the Archangels froze. 

“No...” Gabriel gasped.

“Impossible!” hissed Michael.

“Finally!” shouted Rae-Rae, pumping a fist in victory. 

“What?” Chloe asked. 

“ _ Incoming! _ ” shouted Raphael. 

Several things happened at the same time. 

The Archangels extended their wings. Well, all of them except for Rae-Rae, who dodged around her siblings and tackled Chloe to the ground. Which was good, because it was that moment that the wall exploded inwards. 

  
  


Several pieces landed around Chloe, who was being shielded by Rae-Rae’s wing, but the dust hadn’t even started to settle before she was pushing the wing down. There was only one person she knew who could--and  _ would _ \-- make an entrance like that. 

“Lucifer,” she breathed as he stood there, every inch the avenging angel. 

“Chloe,” he breathed back, and it looked like the first breath he’d taken since she’d left. Before either of them could do any more than speak each other’s name, the four Archangels who were not on their side  _ moved. _

The fight was short and brutal and left Lucifer kneeling with his arms wrenched behind his back, held still by Micheal and Remiel, while Gabriel held Chloe back and Raphael stood between them. 

“Let her go!” Lucifer roared, struggling against his siblings’ hold. Chloe struggled for all she was worth against her captor, needing to go to him, needing him to know he wasn’t alone. 

“We cannot do that, brother,” Raphael said, their voice uselessly level and soothing. 

“The bloody hell you can’t!” Lucifer replied. 

“We mean you no harm, Lucifer,” Gabriel tried. 

“Funny way of showing it, don’t you think?” he asked, jerking in Remiel’s and Michael’s grip. It looked like it had to hurt, but you couldn’t tell that from his expression. Even to Chloe’s well trained eye, all you could see was rage. 

“This is to  _ protect _ you, brother,” Micheal growled. 

That shut Lucifer up for a moment, his face going blank before a low, terrible laughter ripped from his chest. 

“You? Protect me?” He managed, and Chloe’s heart broke for him all over again. “After throwing me into the fiery lake in Hell cause Dad told you to? When the Hell have any of you  _ ever _ tried to protect me? No,” he shook his head, “I know what this is. I might never lie, but that’s never stopped any of you! What you want is me back in Hell where you all think I belong. But hear this, I promised my step-daughter she was getting me  _ and _ her mother back, so I’ll  _ kill all of you _ before I let you drag me back there.”

“Step-daughter?” Remiel asked, offendingly horrified. “But we interfered before the marriage could take place!”

“Yes, well, as she pointed out, ring or no ring, we’re still family. Unlike the rest of  _ you. _ ”

“Think, Lucifer,” Raphael demanded, stepping so Chloe and Lucifer couldn’t see each other anymore. From the growl Lucifer let out, he was about as happy with that as Chloe was. “We know she had you under her spell, we do not blame you, but  _ think _ dear brother. Deep down, you know that she is  _ controlling _ you, that this, defending and protecting a  _ human _ , is not what you want. We have yet to figure out how she controls you, brother, but give us time. We will free you from her influence.”

Lucifer was silent, and Chloe wished she could see his face. A speechless Lucifer was a rare treat, after all. 

“You think  _ Chloe _ is controlling me? Chloe Decker?”

“You follow her lead, you care for her  _ child _ , and you expect us to believe, Lucifer Morningstar, that you would ober and cherish and kneel for this woman without her forcing you to?” Gabriel asked as Raphael stepped out of the way so he could see her again. 

His eyes were filled with anger and love when he looked at her. She wanted nothing more than to be able to go to him. 

“I’ll note she’s one of the only ones here  _ not _ forcing me to kneel at this moment,” he ground out. 

“Hey!” Rae-Rae said, not very loudly. Lucifer rolled his eyes. 

“I  _ did _ say ‘one of’, Rae-Rae.” 

“Don’t you see, Lucifer?” Gabriel tried again, still holding Chloe firmly in place. “There is nothing you value more than your free will. You  _ Fell _ for it. You may not believe us, but we do care for you, brother, and we’re not about to let some witch take your choice away from you!”

Lucifer’s jaw fell open as he stared at his siblings, before he snapped it shut and looked at Chloe. 

“You know, Chloe, I think I finally understand why  _ exactly _ you were so mad when you found out the real reason I went and married Candy.” 

Chloe couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing. Trust Lucifer to make light of even the most serious situation. 

“No, really,” he continued, doing nothing to stop her laughter, “I get it now. Makes abso-bloody-lutely perfect sense. I know I’ve apologized before, but you  _ will _ have to let me make it up to you, darling, now that I actually understand how much of an idiot I was.”

“Lucifer, you are not and were not an idiot,” Chloe told him firmly, his words sobering her up faster than coffee could have. “You were dealing with more trauma than anyone should have ever had to and, while I don’t like how you handled it, I’ve come to terms with the fact that you did handle it as well as you could have at the time. Besides, you’ve already promised to not keep me in the dark about something like that again.” 

“Never,” he swore, and the look he gave her contained so much love, she couldn’t help but return it, Archangels watching be damned. After a moment, he turned to face Raphael with his best annoyed look. “And you wonder why I love her? Why I want to spend the rest of my life with her?”

“What about her resistance to you? How do you explain her ability to not tell you what she desires?”

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask Dad? He’s the one who bloody made her that way!”

“She has warped your thinking, brother! Our Father no longer interferes in the affairs of humans!” Remiel snapped, giving Lucifer’s arm a harsh twist. 

“Oh, bloody hell!” Lucifer snarled. “Rae-Rae, get Amenadiel up here, would you? Nothing I’m saying seems to be able to make this  _ cretins _ listen!”

Before anyone had the chance to stop her, Rae-Rae was gone. Then, before anyone could react to her disappearing, she was back, holding Amenadiel by the arm. 

“Azrael, what could possibly be so--Lucifer? What are  _ you _ doing here?” Amenadiel gaped. 

“The Gates opened for me, Brother,” Lucifer said with a slightly deranged smile. “I guess Dear Old Dad changed his mind.” That realization seemed to make the other Archangels uncomfortable. Good, Chloe thought viciously. That was the least they deserved after everything they’d done. “Now, if you can just get them to release Chloe and me, maybe you can convince them she doesn’t have me under some spell.”

“Chloe’s here?” Amenadiel asked, head whipping around and noticing her presence for the first time. 

“Been here since I went missing, actually,” Chloe said from where Gabriel was  _ still _ holding her in place. “It was the Archangels who took me.” Rae-Rae opened her mouth. “Except Rae-Rae of course.” Rae-Rae closed her mouth. 

“Brother, sisters, sibling,” Amenadiel said with the Big Brother voice that Chloe knew drove Lucifer crazy. “I promise you, I have known our brother, been with him since he met Chloe. She has cast no spell over him, nor does she control him in any way. He simply loves her.”

“Impossible!” Micheal shook his head. 

“Uh-oh...” Rae-Rae said, ducking behind Amenadiel. Chloe could only agree. She’d never seen Lucifer so enraged. From somewhere deep inside him, he started to glow. 

“Chloe! Cover your eyes!” Amenadiel warned, her, covering his own, but Chloe couldn’t look away. This was Heaven, after all. Here, she was as invulnerable as any of the angels who didn’t have someone they loved were on Earth. Besides, Lucifer would  _ never _ harm her. 

That wasn’t true of the other angels though, because with a roar the light left Lucifer, throwing away the Archangels who held him back. 

He was beautiful. 

He was the Lightbringer. 

He was the man she loved. 

He stalked past Raphael, who didn’t even try to stop him and up to Gabriel, who was frozen in shock. 

“Let. Her.  _ Go, _ ” he growled with the voice of the King of Hell. Gabriel did, and Lucifer pulled Chloe to him, wrapping his arms and wings around her. 

Chloe let him hold her close, holding him back just as tightly. Right now, they both needed to feel they the other was here, and safe. 

“Explain--everything-- to them,” Lucifer snarled at Amenadiel over her head. “Chloe and I are going  _ home _ .”

And with a rustle of wings, Chloe found herself still tucked closely against Lucifer’s chest, but surrounded by the familiar scents and sounds of the penthouse. 

“Lucifer? How did your meeting with Ella go? Did you get that lead?” Trixie’s voice drifted from another room, getting louder as she came closer. 

“Not only that, you little urchin, but I’ve brought you a surprise!” Lucifer called out, tightening his arms around her. Chloe muffled her laughter and exasperation. Far be it from her to ruin his fun. 

“Yeah?” Trixie asked, “More mexican? More ice cream?”

“Even better!” Lucifer called back, “Now, if you’ll just come into the--Good, there you are. Surprise!”

And with that, Lucifer opened his arms and wings, letting Chloe turn to face her daughter. 

“Hi Monkey,” She smiled, and if her eyes were a little watery, that was no one else’s business. 

Trixie stood stunned for a moment before her face lit up like she was seven again and it was Christmas. 

“MOMMY!”

***

It was on the seventh day after Chloe’s return from the Silver City that the Archangels returned. Not, of course, to kidnap Chloe. No, Lucifer would  _ never _ allow them to hurt her in any way ever again. She hadn’t been hurt physically, what with being in Heaven and all, but he’d noticed how she’d clung to both him and her spawn her first few days back. They’d made her feel helpless and he wasn’t sure he could ever forgive them for that. 

Which was why, against his instincts and requests, Chloe was sitting next to him when his siblings appeared in his penthouse. She was  _ not _ his to control, and if she wanted in on this meeting, then that was her right, as Linda had pointed out. She was the one who had been kidnapped, after all. His instincts to take her far away and hide her from his family who’d hurt him so badly were understandable, he’d been informed, but not actually ok to act on. Just because this behaviour had kept him safe once didn’t mean it was the right behaviour to be leaning on now, etc. etc. Which was why, instead of standing in front of her with wings in a defensive posture and growling, he was seated on the couch, holding her hand and making sure to look as relaxed and confident as possible. 

“Have a seat, sibs,” he said, waving at the extra chairs he’d had brought in for this occasion. They matched the rest of the set and were incredibly comfortable, unfortunately, but he wasn’t going to let his siblings ruin his decor by making them sit on folding metal chairs, no matter how tempted the idea was. 

At his direction, they sat. He couldn’t help but smirk a little at that. Rae-Rae took the end of the line, (Lucifer wasn’t entirely sure why she was here, but he was grateful to have someone on his--their side), followed by Raphael, Micheal (of  _ course _ Michael would take the middle seat, giant prick), Gabriel and, finally, Remiel. Lucifer ruthlessly suppressed the urge to twitch at having her closer to the exit than he was. He would  _ not _ show weakness. “I’d say it’s a pleasure to have you all here, but we all know I don’t lie.” His smile was vicious. They wouldn’t make eye contact with him. He didn’t care. Let whatever this was be hard for them. They deserved it. 

“We’re here...” Gabriel started before trailing off. Oh, of course they’d picked the least threatening of the group to be the mouthpiece. He wondered why they hadn’t just picked Rae-Rae. He was always going to be more willing to listen to her. Unless, of course, she’d refused to be used against her favourite big brother. There was a reason she was his favourite as well. “Well, you see, we’re here because...” Again, Gabriel trailed off, even as Rae-Rae made a ‘go on’ gesture. 

“What are we, a bunch of cowards?” Michael growled, before looking Lucifer in the eyes, his own eyes fierce. “We have come to apologize,” he said. 

Well, that left Lucifer rather speechless. What the Hell was he supposed to say to that?

“We have wronged you, brother.” Raphael took up where Michael had left off. “You and Detective Decker.” 

“Amenadiel explained everything. We should have checked with him first, to truly understand the situation, to not interfere with our Father’s plan,” Remiel ground out between clenched teeth. 

“We never meant to cause you pain, brother,” Gabriel finally managed. “We’re sorry that we did. 

Lucifer stared at them all, not knowing what to feel. Should he feel... happy? Relieved? Vindicated? Wasn’t this what he’d always wanted, for his family to admit they were wrong? Why was it, then, that all he wanted to do now was throw them all off the balcony and not bother to check if they managed to open their wings on the way down? Why was he more angry now than before? 

He surged to his feet and stormed over to his bar, pouring himself three fingers, throwing it back in one swallow and quickly pouring himself another. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Chloe standing there. 

She said nothing, just keeping her hand there, letting him know he wasn’t alone this time. He reached up and placed his hand over hers, gave it a gentle squeeze, and then brought both her and the drink back to settle once more on the couch. 

“Well, that certainly wasn’t the worst apology I’ve ever heard,” he said, settling back, this time with an arm around Chloe to help keep him grounded. “So, what are you hoping for now?” 

“Now?” Raphael asked, tilting their head. 

“Now, going forward, whatever you want to call it,” he expanded. He refused to hope what their answer would be, one way or the other. 

“We wronged you because we know longer know you, brother,” Raphael replied. 

“We once knew Samael.” Lucifer neither shattered the glass in his hand nor threw it at anyone, so he was going to count that as a win. “I think it’s time we got to know Lucifer,” Gabriel finished. 

“And does she speak for all of you?” Lucifer asked, trying to keep all of his emotions out of his voice. 

“She does,” Michael confirmed as he and their siblings nodded. 

“Well, if we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right,” Lucifer said, taking a sip of his drink. “Dad knows He didn’t teach any of us about ‘respecting boundaries’ or ‘healthy coping mechanisms’ or ‘how to effectively communicate’, and Mum was just as bad if not worse. So, if you want a place in my life, as you so claim, you’re going to earn it?” 

“What does that entail?” Gabriel asked. 

“Who must we defeat to prove ourselves worthy?” Remiel demanded, spear suddenly in her hand. 

“See, that?” Lucifer asked, gesturing to the spear that, if it got anywhere near Chloe, he would shove up his sister’s arse. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. No, the only people you need to face if you want to be anywhere near me and mine if yourselves.” He cocked his eyebrows at them and took another sip. 

“You would ask us to turn on each other for  _ you _ ?” Michael demanded, and Lucifer almost,  _ almost _ asked him why they wouldn’t. They’d turned on him after all. But Chloe chose that moment to squeeze his leg and remind him of how far he’d come. That he could reach out, because this time, there were people to catch him. He didn’t need his birth family, he’d found a better one... But that didn’t mean he couldn’t want them. Didn’t mean he couldn’t try. 

“No, you blithering idiot,” Lucifer corrected. “I’m asking you to go to therapy.” 

That froze all his siblings. 

“Therapy?” asked Raphael.

“Yes, you know, therapy? Go sit on a couch and talk to someone who actually understands these things and helps you figure them out? Thera--Look, we all speak every language here--except for Chloe, of course--you know full well what therapy is. And I want you to go to it. If we’re going to rebuild,” he waved between them, “whatever it was we might have once had, you’re going to have to meet me part way, and I absolutely  _ refuse _ to do all the heavy lifting. Not only is it  _ not _ my fault that you didn’t come visit me  _ once _ since I Fell--Except you, Rae-Rae, dear--I’m not equipped.” 

“Equipped?” asked Remiel. 

“No, you see, I’m still working through my own damn trauma, thank you very much, so you’re not about to off-load yours onto me.”

“Lucifer, even if we wanted to see a therapist, who could we go see? Who could possibly begin to understand the complexities of the divine?” Gabriel asked, thinking she had a point. 

“Simple, dear sister,” Lucifer responded, practically purring. “Mine.” 

“Ooh, Linda?” Rae-Rae asked. Lucifer raised an eyebrow at her. “What? Ella talks.”

“Yes, Dr. Linda Martin in Beverly Hills. I’ll give you her contact information and you can use my phone to  _ call _ her and set up your first appointments.”

“Should we not just go to her and get this ‘therapy’?” Remiel asked, looking ready to spread her wings and fly off immediately. Lucifer couldn’t help being slightly touched. 

“It’s  _ Saturday _ , dear sister. She only works Monday through Friday, and I’m pretty sure our eldest brother would be rather put off if you tried to make his wife work on one of her days off.”

“She’s Amenadiel’s wife?” Michael demanded. 

“Yes, so, as you can see, perfectly capable of dealing with the divine.” Lucifer replied. “Now,” he pulled Chloe a little closer. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to spend the rest of the day with my lovely fiancée so you lot can bugger off back to the Silver City and think about my offer.” 

“We will meet with this Dr. Linda Martin in Beverly Hills, Brother.” Remiel said, standing. “And we will undergo this ‘therapy’.”

“Very well, come back Monday at three and I’ll see about getting appointments for you.” 

“Until then, Brother.” Gabriel said as the rest of them stood up. 

“Pray, should you need us,” Michael told him. 

“Oh, I won’t,” Lucifer assured him. And then, with a rustle of wings, he was alone in the penthouse with Chloe. 

He held her close for a moment, just breathing in her scent and feeling her warmth before asking. 

“If you weren’t going to say anything, love, why did you want to be here?”

“Because, Lucifer, I couldn’t let any of them think you were alone.” She smiled up at him and Lucifer was reminded of all the reasons he loved her. He would miss her, when she was gone, but that just made the time they had together all the more special, before she was out of his reach in the Silver Ci--

If he hadn’t already been seated, he would have fallen over. As it was, Chloe had to grab his glass to stop it from spilling the last of his drink. 

“Lucifer? Lucifer, babe, what is it?” He just stared at her in shock, not sure how he hadn’t realized this before. 

“I can get into the Silver City,” he finally managed. 

“Yeah, Lucifer, that’s how you saved me,” she said, still not understanding. 

“No, Chloe--Darling--You don’t get it,’ He said, slipping away from her, “I can go to  _ Heaven _ .” 

He sunk to one knee gracelessly before her, wishing more than anything he had something to give her. Later. He’d fix it later. He had to do this  _ now _ .

“Chloe, love of my life, heart of my family, the most important part of my home,” why didn’t he have something more eloquent planned? This would never match what she’d told him! “You were the first person to help love me for myself, and not what anything from me in return. You’ve made me a better man and encouraged me to become the best me I can be without trying to change  _ who _ I am. Chloe Jane Decker, will you spend the rest of  _ my _ life with me?”

And suddenly, she understood. And she was nodding and saying ‘yes’ and reaching out for him and he couldn’t help but pick her up and twirl her around all over again, except this time it was her kissing him and Lucifer knew that even if they had the rest of eternity together he’d still cherish every moment.

“We should go out and celebrate,” Chloe said, pulling back from him a little. 

“Really?” he asked, putting her down. “Where did you have in mind?”

“Oh, I was thinking that italian place you really like that we hardly ever go to,” she said, giving him a mischievous smile. 

“The one we don't go to because there aren’t any prices on the menu and the one time you accidentally saw the bill you were uncomfortable with me spending that much on you?” Lucifer asked, looking for the catch. Was she going to let him treat her?

“The very same!” Chloe replied, reaching into his back pockets to pull him closer. 

“Oh,” He smirked, eyes going to her lips and then back up to her eyes. “Thank you for letting me do this for you, darling,” he purred. 

She pulled her hands out of his pockets, stepped back and  _ waved his money clip at him, the little minx.  _

“Letting you do what?” she asked. “I’m the one who’s buying!”

At that, Lucifer could only laugh. He had the rest of eternity with his lady love. He could only hope it would be enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you for reading this far! It was a fun story to write and it's been fun seeing some of your responses. If you left a kudos, thank you. If you commented THANK YOU. Dear future readers, thank you for reading this far! I love you all and you are all wonderful! 
> 
> What did you think of the story? 
> 
> Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> The first draft is written, so you can expect quick updates. See you guys again soon!


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